Everything You Need To Know About Flavonoids

Good morning!

It can’t just be me, right? We’re deep into that “grab-a-jacket-but-still-sweat-in-the-sun” part of the year. And as the days get shorter, many of us start thinking about ways to stay strong, energized, and healthy through the colder months.

It’s the time of year when we naturally reach for things that help us feel stronger, calmer, and more resilient. And this week, we’re bringing you one that almost no one knows about, but everyone benefits from. Flavonoids.

Key Takeaways

• Body support: Flavonoids help fight free radicals, calm inflammation, and aid nerve health.

• Plant defenders: Flavonoids protect plants, and us, with their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Colorful nutrients: They are responsible for giving plants their red, blue, yellow and purple hues!

CORE

What Are Flavonoids?

Flavonoids are compounds packed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antimutagenic properties. They’re found in virtually every plant on Earth and play a key role in the plant’s defense system (no wonder, look at everything they do!).

Plants make flavonoids to defend themselves from UV rays, fight off viruses, and patch up cell damage. When we eat those plants, we get the same benefits. You’ll find them concentrated in the most colorful parts of plants (the yellows, blues, reds, and purples) since they also act as pigments.

It’s estimated that there are over 6,000 types of flavonoids across the plant kingdom, and we’re only beginning to understand how important they are for our own health.

Flavonoid Subgroups

Anthocyanins
These give flowers their purple hues and are abundant in purple fruits like blueberries and blackberries.

Flavanones
Citrus lovers, this one’s for you. These antioxidant powerhouses live in lemons, oranges, and grapefruits.

Flavanols
Another antioxidant-rich group found in cocoa, green tea, and black tea. A good reason to switch up that morning coffee.

Flavones
Responsible for blue and white flower colors, and abundant in herbs like thyme, parsley, oregano, and peppermint. Known for their strong anti-inflammatory effects.

Isoflavones
Helpful for hormone balance. You’ll find these in legumes like chickpeas, peanuts, pistachios, and soybeans.

Of course, this list only scratches the surface. The goal here isn’t to overwhelm you, but to show how diverse and widespread these nutrients are. If it’s plant-based, it probably has flavonoids. Learn more here.

What Can Flavonoids Do for You?

Below is a chart from a systematic review that might make flavonoids look like the key to immortality. While that’s a stretch, research shows they play a powerful supporting role in protecting the body.

They won’t stop mutations from happening or erase all inflammation, but they do strengthen many of the body’s natural defense systems. Some of the most studied benefits include:

Free Radical Scavenging
Flavonoids are like bodyguards that hunt these things called free radicals that are basically any atom or molecule that has an unpaired electron on its outer shell. That makes it super reactive and damaging to your bodies and flavonoids are here to help hunt them down before they can do any harm.

Neuropathy Inhibition
Neuropathy happens when nerves malfunction, leading to reduced sensitivity or motor control. Natural compounds containing flavonoids have been used to relieve neuropathic pain and support nerve health.

To sum all of this up, the idea is that flavonoids are an important support for our overall health. They are present in basically all plants, especially in the brighter parts. 

Also, there isn’t an RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for flavonoids because they aren’t essential. But generally more flavonoids is almost always a good thing.

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ENDNOTE

Final Thoughts

Flavonoids may not show up on nutrition labels, but they’re working quietly in your corner every day, helping your body bounce back, your cells stay calm, and your health feel just a bit more unshakable.

Eat your colors. Drink your tea. Enjoy your chocolate. You’ll thank the flavonoids later.

Until next week!

Adrian Macdonald | Team Dietitian | The 8% Newsletter Author